In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Driver fatally injured as car hits tree

Gardaí in Cavan are investigating an incident in which a man was fatally injured when the car he was driving lost control and hit a tree at Tullyvin, Cootehill, Co Cavan.

The collision occurred on Monday at 9.15am.

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The passenger in the car was taken to Cavan General Hospital where he remained in a critical condition last night.

In Fermanagh, a man died following a collision with a lorry yesterday morning. The accident occurred on the main Cavan to Clones Road at around 11am close to the Newtownbutler junction.

Garda recruit in river rescue

A Garda recruit was praised yesterday after he plunged into the river Corrib the previous night to rescue a woman who had jumped into the water, writes Michelle McDonagh.

The married mother had been seen standing on the boardwalk off O'Brien's Bridge at about 9pm before she jumped into the water below where a strong current brought her quickly downstream.

Student Garda Jason Clarke (22), a trained lifeguard, dived into the river and rescued the woman, who was submerged at that stage.

It is understood the woman, who had been arrested for drink-driving earlier on Monday, had been released from Mill Street Garda station into the custody of a friend at 5pm.

She was taken from the water at Jury's Hotel near the Wolfe Tone Bridge where an ambulance was waiting to take her to University College Hospital Galway.

MacSharry to lead tourism body

Former EU commissioner and minister for finance Ray MacSharry has been appointed to head one of the five regional tourism development bodies.

Mr MacSharry, a native of Sligo, is to chair the board in the northwest. This is one of five boards being created by the Government to develop tourism in the regions.

The regions have been divided into the southwest, southeast, west, northwest and midlands-east.

A former secretary general at the Department of Justice, Tim Dalton, will chair the southwest board.

Businesswoman Elaine Warren from Gorey, Co Wexford, will chair the southeast board; auctioneer Ray Rooney the west board; and Kildare businessman Pierce Moloney will chair the midlands east board.

Biodynamic agriculture

The need to develop a self-sufficient form of agriculture will be highlighted at a conference on biodynamic agriculture this weekend.

Biodynamic farming centres on self-sufficiency, special compost and soil treatments and the use of an astronomical calendar to determine when crops should be planted and harvested.

The Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Ireland is holding its conference on the theme "Biodynamic Agriculture - Beyond Organics" at the Camphill Community, Duffcarig, Gorey, Co Wexford, on Saturday and Sunday.

It will include speakers from the Biodynamic Agriculture Association, Teagasc, the Tipperary Institute and organic horticulturalist Richard Mee. See the website www.biodynamic.ie for more information.